Cisco salaries by job title (2026)
Cisco filed 1,175 certified H-1B applications for full-time roles in FY2026 Q1–Q3 (decisions Oct 1, 2025 – Jun 30, 2026). The median base salary is $152,506, and the middle half of offers fall between $131,000 and $180,710.
Cisco base salary by job title
| Job title | Median base | Middle 50% | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Engineer | $149,365 | $131,041 – $167,518 | 219 |
| Software Engineering Technical Leader | $210,600 | $178,131 – $213,845 | 93 |
| Engineering Product Manager | $161,798 | $130,600 – $181,293 | 40 |
| Leader, Software Engineering | $216,126 | $164,725 – $236,721 | 36 |
| Technical Consulting Engineer | $114,100 | $104,728 – $128,100 | 29 |
| Hardware Engineer | $158,732 | $133,394 – $179,936 | 28 |
| ASIC Engineer | $156,853 | $135,044 – $186,472 | 23 |
| Product Designer | $135,800 | $128,615 – $146,327 | 23 |
| Software QA Engineer | $138,500 | $128,146 – $165,000 | 23 |
| Solutions Engineer | $145,642 | $121,784 – $162,240 | 23 |
| Engineering Technical Leader | $176,583 | $164,124 – $183,382 | 20 |
| Customer Delivery Architect | $166,500 | $166,500 – $176,100 | 17 |
| Data Engineer | $146,372 | $137,000 – $165,000 | 16 |
| ASIC Engineering Technical Leader | $191,400 | $154,990 – $207,517 | 15 |
| Strategy & Planning Manager | $174,000 | $152,972 – $180,326 | 15 |
By location
| Worksite | Median base | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | $179,470 | 314 |
| Research Triangle Park, NC | $135,408 | 126 |
| San Francisco, CA | $170,021 | 100 |
| Milpitas, CA | $181,293 | 96 |
| Richardson, TX | $132,390 | 70 |
| Seattle, WA | $167,024 | 58 |
| Austin, TX | $135,907 | 56 |
| Morrisville, NC | $135,800 | 48 |
| Chicago, IL | $120,182 | 25 |
| Holmdel, NJ | $170,883 | 24 |
Take-home pay
Most of Cisco's filings are for jobs in California. There, the median base of $152,506 leaves about $103,583 a year, or $8,632 a month, after federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and California taxes for a single filer with no 401(k) contributions. For Software Engineer ($149,365), it is about $101,769 a year. Use the California paycheck calculator to add a 401(k), a spouse or children.
Experience levels
Each filing names the prevailing-wage level the job was matched to, from entry level (I) to fully competent (IV).
| Wage level | Share of filings |
|---|---|
| I: Entry level | 5% |
| II: Qualified | 20% |
| III: Experienced | 51% |
| IV: Fully competent | 24% |
By occupation
| Occupation | Median base | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | $163,600 | 480 |
| Information Technology Project Managers | $147,514 | 130 |
| Network and Computer Systems Administrators | $127,950 | 106 |
| Electronics Engineers, Except Computer | $164,686 | 82 |
| Sales Engineers | $145,642 | 68 |
| Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers | $149,100 | 41 |
About this data
- Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor Certification, LCA disclosure data for FY2026 Q1–Q3 (decisions Oct 1, 2025 – Jun 30, 2026). Only certified H-1B applications for full-time positions are counted (384,130 filings).
- Each figure is the base wage the employer stated on the application, converted to a yearly amount. Bonuses, stock (RSUs) and benefits are not included, so total pay at large tech firms is usually much higher.
- An application is filed before a worker starts and can cover a range of pay; we use the lower end of that range. Not every application leads to a hire.
- Median: half of filings are above, half below. Middle 50%: the range between the 25th and 75th percentiles.
Frequently asked questions
What is the average salary at Cisco?
The median base salary in Cisco's 1,175 certified H-1B filings is $152,506 a year, and the middle half fall between $131,000 and $180,710. Bonuses and stock are extra.
How much does a Software Engineer at Cisco make?
The median base salary for Software Engineer is $149,365 across 219 filings (middle 50%: $131,041 – $167,518).
Where does Cisco pay the most?
Among locations with at least five filings, Milpitas, CA has the highest median base salary at $181,293.
What is $152,506 after tax in California?
About $103,583 a year ($8,632 a month) for a single filer after federal, Social Security, Medicare and California taxes.